He's A Pirate!
by dizzydota
Summary: AU. The world Prince Roxas lives in has just been turned upside down. Why? Well after accidentally stowing away on a pirate ship, he comes to find himself long away from home and decking with the oddest pirate crew he's ever seen. AKUROKU
1. Chapter 1

*******EDITED FIRST CHAPTER.*******

**Warning! **This is boyxboy. AkuRoku. Axel and Roxas. If you don't like that then I suggest you not read this!

Hello everyone! I have posted fanfictions before.. but none of them ever really made it to becoming finished. Either that or they were only one-shots that I ended up not being happy with. Ahehe.. just a tad bit picky!

After watching Pirates of the Caribbean for the hundredth time this summer I finally came up with the idea of having an AkuRoku multi-chapter story based in a pirate setting. I'm very aware this has been done before - with Roxas being a prince so no one needs to let me know that! This is purely for my entertainment and for othe's aswell!

**Rated: **M for language, and later sexual content.

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to © Square Enix only! Though, oh how I wished it could be mine. ; w;

* * *

"Where did he go?! He was just here a moment ago!"

"Find him!"

The sounds of footfall came towards the blonde Prince faster than he had expected, causing him to slide into the alleyway nearest to him as quick as he could. No, he didn't want to go back to that damned palace at the moment. He would just be thrown into another classroom where words and studies would be forced down his throat. He had had enough of that for awhile and it seemed that him trying to escape was the only way he was going to get a break.

He pressed himself back against the bricked wall as much as he could, hoping to almost mold himself into it if that was a way for them not to find him. The guards his father, King Cloud, had watching him were pretty good at finding him though, he had to admit. Was it really that obvious on where he could hide? It wasn't the first time he had tried to escape for a little bit, but they always seemed to find him. No matter what.

A twitch of annoyance came to him at that thought before he finally became aware of his surroundings and dropped down into a low squat the instant the footfalls became louder, successfully hiding his small but fit body behind a cluster of barrels that were thrown aside for some odd reason. Who was he to question other peoples motives?

His attention was pulled back the instant the black forms ran by the alley way, one halting for a mid-second to look down into it before deciding that no, he didn't want to look down there, and continued on with the rest of them. They all wore black, almost to the point where you couldn't see their faces.

They reminded him of old creatures in fairy tale stories his maids used to read to him: Heartless. At least, he thought that was what they were called.

Creepy little beings who were pure black with bright yellow eyes. When he was small those creatures used to freak him out; them and the Nobodies. But now he knew they were just mythical creatures that weren't real. But if he wanted to get technical, he could easily dub those guards as them. So hey, maybe they were real in his mind.

He stayed where he was for a moment longer, making sure that the guards weren't doing a round about to head back in the direction they had just came from before deciding he was safe for now. With a soft sigh he pushed himself up, one hand gripping onto one of the barrels to steady himself. The sudden sound of footsteps behind him made him stiffen and his blue eyes go wide. Had one of them been behind him the whole time?

"Hey shorty, if you'd be so kind as to remove your hand from that barrel, I'd gladly be taking it and be on my way." a gruff voice spoke from behind him and he instantly relaxed, knowing it wasn't a guard.

But then... Who the hell was it? He spun around quickly, set on facing the other but instead coming face to face with said stranger's chest. He blinked owlishly before tilting his head back to glance up at the rather tall man. The owlish look was thrown aside and taken over by an annoyed one once he took noticed that the other was smirking at him. With a scoff he snatched his hand away from the barrel, back-stepping a little bit to frown at the other.

"That's no way to talk to me…" he stated out in a defensive tone. He might be trying to get away from the castle a little bit, but he was still a prince damnit!

"No way to talk to you…? And who might you be?" the strange man asked as he leaned up against the barrels himself, arms crossing as that smirk seemed to stain his face. Roxas took that moment to take in the other's appearance, but let none of the surprised emotions cross his face. Who cared if the guy was some-what attractive... He disrespected him!

That flaming red hair though was rather eye-catching, even with it tied back he knew that it was probably wild and untamable the instant it was let go. Sharp green eyes went along with it nicely, and... Upside-down teardrop tattoos under each eye? Well, he didn't know what to say about that but it still made his look more intense. He thought that even without the tattoos the stranger's look would still seem intense. He was lanky and freakishly tall, giving him an almost cat-like appearance.

Definitely not an everyday civilian.

Quickly shaking off the thoughts Roxas straightened up, pushing the cloak he wore aside a little bit to show the expensive clothes and materials he wore before finally speaking, "I am Prince Roxas of Twilight Town, Yen Sid and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather." he claimed in a strong voice, chin up as his eyes stayed narrowed on the other - who really didn't seem affected. Not that he would let it get to him... Because it didn't.

"Prince Roxas eh?" he started off, chuckling softly before stepping forward and giving him a mock bow, to which he snorted at in reply. He knew the other probably wasn't from around here, hell he wouldn't be surprised if the other was even aware of such things called manners. Screw him being attractive.

"What's a prince like you doing out here in the town all by your lonesome self?" he asked while attempting to pull off an innocent look. The look just didn't seem right on him though - not that he knew what could look right on the mans face.

Like stated before, screw him.

"That's none of your business." was what the prince replied back with rather quickly, becoming even more impatient with him. "If I want to leave the castle and walk around for a little bit I most certainly can." he added in with another defensive tone before realizing he had just told the other half of what he was doing out there. So much for 'none of his business'.

"Really now? I would say otherwise with all those guards chasing after you. Or... Would you like me to think they are just frantically running around in hopes of losing a few pounds?"

Another twitch of annoyance came to his left eye as his hands formed into fists, attempting to hold back whatever insults that were trying to come out of him. He didn't know why the guy was bugging him so much - maybe it was his attitude? And how he didn't seem to care if he was a prince or not? Or maybe it was just that little smirk that gave off an 'I'm-better-than-you' vibe. Actually... It could very well be both of those reasons.

Before he could even comment back to the other that husky voice broke the silence once again, "Well, Prince, it was a pleasure of meeting you! But I'm sad to say I must make a departure before I miss my... ride." he claimed with an amused look, green eyes glinting in a way that made Roxas shift back in a cautious manner.

"O-Okay then..." he paused and coughed softly, making his tone much more stronger than it had just been, "Well off you go. No need to waste my time anymore than you already have." he stated out once he had regained his composure, shifting the cloak back around his body to hide his clothes and then putting up the hood.

The sooner he left the better, the guy was annoying as hell. He'd rather have his tutor Vexen throw work in his face than listen to that tone anymore.

Well maybe he was exaggerating a little bit with that. Who liked work?

"Of course your majesty. Just watch out for those guards, they'll be on you like rabid dogs if they spot you in the crowds."

Roxas flickered his gaze up to make eye contact with the man, not speaking for a second before nodding his head, "Whatever you say." he mumbled out, annoyed look still spread across his face before he turned on his heel and carefully stepped out of the alleyway, glad to see none of the guards were in this section of the town anymore. He would be good for a little bit before they would try searching this part again.

He made it across the street and paused for a split second, letting the curiosity take control of him as he snuck a glance over his shoulder and noted in surprise that the stranger was gone - along with the large amount of barrels. He blinked for a moment before quickly shaking his head, deciding that the other wasn't even worth thinking about. "Stupid jerk." he mumbled out to himself before setting off to do whatever he wished.

He could probably meet up with the few friends he had here, but Hayner was probably still working at his stables, Olette would be with her mother if anything and Pence.. Well he had no clue what the hell Pence did when he wasn't around. The boy's father was a butcher - so he probably helped attend to those needs.

Oh well, he would just hang around and check out whatever was going around in Twilight Town.

* * *

"Fucking shit, where did they come from!?" a panicked tone came from the prince as he darted down the streets, trying his best to avoid colliding into any innocent civilians while attempting to avoid being snatched up by the Heartless as well. He had been wandering around aimlessly and had caught the blur of black out of the corner of his eye.

He knew exactly what the blur was and had instantly took off in a sprint, the sounds of rushed footsteps following after him seconds later. Quick breaths escaped him as he turned a corner quickly, trying his best to throw them off guard along with trying to find a place to hide.

He had gotten lucky with not being caught earlier, but now he wasn't so sure. "Your Majesty, you must return to the castle!" one of them shouted out from behind him, but he paid no attention to it. Instead he continued on with his sprint, set on losing them. If he was going to be caught by those men, he was going to make them go through hell to do so.

His own loud footsteps were definitely not quiet though, he had to say. Next time he would not wear steel-toed boots! He needed to wear something a bit more stealthier if he planned to pull this off. He turned his head to look behind him, noticing that they hadn't caught up yet and he took that second to stop, throw off his boots and then continue on.

He could only hear the soft pads of his bare feet against the stone roads now.

Thankfully that would throw them off. If he got lucky that is. He had no clue how long he had ran, but he had managed to get from the middle of town to the boating docks. His feet ached and he had a sudden killer cramp stabbing at his side, he was panting and trying to catch his breath as he stopped next to the docks, watching some men load barrels onto a rather large ship. His mouth parted while he took in the size of it before stilling at the low sounds of footsteps and voices. He knew they were coming.

He turned his head quickly, trying to find just where he could manage to hide before letting his eyes fall onto one of the barrels that had not been touched yet. He did a glance up at the ship, then behind him before flicking it back onto the barrel. Just for a little bit, he could get off the ship before it set off! If not, the crew would surely let him go.

He shot forward in a rush, making sure none of the men were looking before he pulled off the lid, blinking at the bottles in it before dumping them all off the side of the deck, watching them sink into the shore before quickly slipping inside while thanking his short body. He fit in perfectly!

His hands still gripping onto the lid tightly to keep it shut, eyes clenching together as the footsteps and voices became closer and not a minute later he knew they were where he had just currently been.

"You there, sailor! Have you seen a cloaked figure come around here?"

"Ah... No I haven't."

Now he suddenly wished he knew what was going on outside. The voice sounded right next to him, and it sounded young. Definitely a male's voice - he didn't get enough time to think about it. His stomach dropped as the barrel he sat in was snatched up by a few men and tossed onto the ship, where the few crew members rolled it to where he guessed the other barrels were. His mouth pressed together tightly as he tried to stop the dizzy sensation shaking his mind and after a few minutes it had finally settled down.

"Lost the prince eh? That sucks for them." the voice outside the barrel he sat in was the same voice as before, the young mans. If he thought about it, the guy had to at least be his age. He couldn't see the other though, so he wasn't going to dwell on that thought.

"Why do you say that Sora?"

Well that was a new voice. How many people were on this ship?

"Well c'mon, he's the prince! Those guys will be hung if the King finds out the prince had scampered off and they couldn't even manage to get him back!" the boy named Sora stated out with enthusiasm.

"It would be like one of us running off and none of the crew members being able to find them! Cap'n Axel would have a cow!" he added on with a snort of amusement, seeming to hit the barrel Roxas sat in he guessed - since a sudden loud thump hit the side of it. Captain Axel? What... ?

"Sora, I think many of the crew members would enjoy your absence." came a dull reply from the other before the sound of fading footprints came in. Roxas guessed the other guy had walked away.

A small smile quirked onto his lips at the sound of the other's boy mock repeating of the comment, and he held back the small laugh that almost broke through. "Yeah yeah, just go groom your hair Riku!" he stated in a loud tone, obviously knowing the other wouldn't hear it if it was said in a normal tone. Roxas' smile dropped instantly as he heard his barrel move a little bit and the lid attempt to be opened.

"Wha... ?" the voice outside definitely took notice in the resistance of the barrel. "The fuck!? Dumb barrel open up!" he whined out, using a force that Roxas hadn't expected and the lid was snatched out of his grasp instantly. Sunlight greeted him before it was blocked out by a sudden shadow.

"You're… not rum."

"Obviously." came his dull reply to the new stranger. A look of surprise crossed his face as he was suddenly shoved to the side - well the barrel was. But he was inside of it so technically he was too. "How the hell did you get in there?! And who are you?" came the boys sudden hushed tone as he squatted down in front of the barrel, peeking in on the blond.

"I climbed in when no one was looking, dumped the bottles into the shore. And... I'm Prince Roxas!" he exclaimed out, though used a low tone for it - since the other was using one as well. He was right also, about the other being his age. The boy looked like he was in early adulthood - so about 19 or 20. With blue eyes a shade darker than his and brown hair that seemed to defy gravity this boy was also quite a newcomer to Twilight Town.

For a split second he was reminded of the stranger he had met in the alley but quickly discarded that memory. Wasn't worth his time!

"Oooh.. Captain Axel isn't going to like that. You dumped the rum!" he exclaimed out, gaze flickering off to the side before the second part of what Roxas had said finally sunk in. "Shit fuck! You're the prince?!"

Well, there went the quiet tone. The other boy Riku suddenly came over at the loud outburst, blinking lightly down at him before leaning forward and grabbing onto his arm, yanking him out of the barrel he had so happily came to love.

No! He would much rather be in that cramped space then on this ship! Something was off.

"Riku what are you doin?! We gotta get him off." Sora stated with a spastic hand motion towards him, to which he glared at lightly. "Yes, please get me off this ship. And let go of my arm!" he pretty much ordered, yanking said arm but Riku did not let up. "Sorry... Prince. But you just stowed away on the last ship you would want to be apart of..." he claimed before smirking lightly. Roxas directed his narrowed gaze onto Sora, who gave him a sheepish look before backing off and running off into the opposite direction.

That's when he took notice in another thing. The boat was in motion. How long was he in that barrel!? He snapped his head over to the side and watched the docks slowly get farther and farther back - with that a panicked look crossed his face. "No! You have to let me off, that's an order!"

"Oh, he won't take orders from you dear Prince."

It was... that tone. He knew that tone already, and only one man could hold that tone. His mouth parted as he gasped quietly, head turning to look behind him as his eyes fell on that very man he had been chatting with a little whiles ago. "Y... You?"

"Oh yes, me! Happy to see me again?" he asked with a chipper tone, smirk spreading across his face. Roxas took that moment to look around the ship, noticing the attire they all wore was definitely not that of a normal sailors. The cloth was somewhat torn and ragged, and their faces and skin were coated with dirt. How the hell had the guards not noticed these people? Or questioned them.

They looked like...

" Pirates… " he whispered out quietly, eyes narrowing at the amusement that suddenly played through the man's eyes. The crew had stopped and surrounded them, a smug look crossing almost all their faces except for a few. The boy... Sora and a small girl who had just stepped up next to the brunette. His gaze didn't linger on them though as he looked back at the red-head with annoyance.

"Yes! Correct Roxie… Pirates." he nodded his head in approval while some of the crew snickered quietly. The man stepped forward at that, boots making a clunking sound before halting the instant he was about a foot away from the blonde prince.

"I'm rather surprised that you showed up here of all places. When I said you should hide away from those guards I certainly did not mean my ship." he claimed with a toothy grin, hand coming up to cup the other's face. Roxas glared and quickly jerked his head to the side, removing his cheek from the man's grasp.

"Let me go. My father will have ships after me the instant they realize I could be off the shore!" he stated, ignoring the laughs from the crew again. His eyes were locked with cat-like ones at the moment. The grin widened before he tsked softly, tapping his nose. "I'm very sorry to say this... Roxie -" at the second mention of the nickname an annoyed twitch came to him once again.

"- but there will be no leaving the ship. Your life as prince has just been executed." and at that he chuckled softly, shrugging his shoulders before stepping back. Roxas let the shocked look cross his face. Life as prince... Executed? Were they going to kill him? He guessed the man knew what he was talking about because another chuckle came in suddenly.

"No no Roxie, no killing you. We're just innocent pirates! We wouldn't hurt a hair on your little head. Let him go Riku."

And like that his world changed drastically, he could only imagine what else was to come. This man, this stranger he had met before had something in store for him and he had no idea what the hell it was going to be. He knew though, that what the other said was true. He wasn't going to be leaving the ship, and his life as a prince seemed over.

"Pleasure to meet you Roxie, you may call me Captain Axel."

* * *

Well there was the first chapter! Sorry if it seems a bit rushed - it's been awhile since I've tried this out haha.

Critiques are always loved, flames though are not appreciated. I don't think anyone would appreciate those!

Will update whenever I possibly can. That's a promise!

-Diz


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning! **This is boyxboy. AkuRoku. Axel and Roxas. If you don't like that then I suggest you not read this!

Voila! The second chapter is finally here!

After reading some fanfictions, I got inspired to write(type) up the next chapter again. They were all Akuroku, and my obsession with the pairing started gleaming again and I just had to do something them. So I loaded up my Word Processor and got to work!

Hopefully it's alright!

**Rated: **M for language, and later sexual content.

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to © Square Enix only! IT WILL NEVER BE MINE -sulks-

* * *

"You need to let me go."

Roxas wasn't sure how many times that sentence had came from his mouth. But he was very sure that the more he said it, and the more Axel ignored it, the more pissed he got. Didn't this man understand that he could die for not returning him back to his palace?! The price on his head could be millions, and men from everywhere would do just about anything for those millions. If he was aware of it, he seemed to not care about it one bit.

He actually seemed to get a sick joy in watching him get frustrated.

"I'm serious!" he shouted out, an aggravated look crossing his face as Axel waltzed by him humming happily, disappearing behind a door for a moment before coming back. Flashing him another smirk and dropping an empty plate down in front of him.

Roxas blinked lightly, staring at the before furrowing his eyebrows. "Oh gee, thanks. I've always wanted a plate." he mumbled out sarcastically, lips pressing together tightly as the pirate chuckled softly. "You must be hungry… am I right?"

"No."

Lies. All lies. Roxas was starving. And as if on cue his stomach rumbled. Not one of those quiet rumbles either, one of those huge rumbles that anyone within ten feet of you could hear. Face flushing slightly he turned away from the man and crossed his arms. "I don't need your hospitality. I want to go home."

"Home is a far gone now Roxie. That's something you're gonna have to deal with."

How long had it been since he was found in that cramped up barrel? It didn't feel like that long, but then again he knew that a few hours had passed. He had fought, kicked and almost attempted to jump ship - but it seemed the crew was having none of that. After his little tantrum he was thrown into this room and left alone. Axel had came in only thirty minutes ago.

"Well then, turn the ship around."

Another chuckle came from the captain's lips, "And be caught by your father's henchmen? I'd rather not. Don't forget that there are other lives on this ship besides yours, prince."

"I don't care about you and your crew! I care about getting home!"

"Well you're not going home."

The sudden serious voice had caught the prince's attention. Blinking lightly he turned his gaze to peer at the other, deciding that for the moment it would be better to not say anything. The mood suddenly did not seem as light as it had been five seconds ago. "Listen carefully… this ship will be heading to Hollow Bastion. There will be no turning around for you, and you most certainly will not be getting royal treatment here. You're going to sit here like a good little prince, and obey everything I say. Otherwise there will be consequences."

Narrowing his eyes slightly Roxas shook his head, "I'm not going to obey your rules."

"Well you better learn to. Once you do, life on this ship will be ten times better." And with that, the sudden serious expression was gone. That oh-so-familiar smirk broke through the pirate's face and he shifted forward, leaning on the table casually and shrugging his shoulders. "It's really not so bad Roxie, give it a chance. You might start to enjoy the life of piracy."

He didn't reply back. He didn't even cast the man a glance after that. Enjoy the life of piracy? What was there even to enjoy? Catching Axel's figure moving away he watched him exit through another door, and the sound of a lock clicking telling him that whatever conversation they were having was now over with. Knowing that, his body relaxed instantly.

He hadn't been taking the other seriously until the mood had changed. Was he going to admit that the man freaked him out though? Of course not. But now he could see how the other could be a captain. He wasn't as annoying and sarcastic as he thought he was.

His gaze swept around the room, taking in his surroundings before he quietly stood from his chair. If Axel expected him to stay in this room he was surely mistaken. His rumbling stomach grabbed a hold of his attention though, causing him to stop mid-way towards the door. Food... he need _food_. Turning to look around the room he quietly made his way around it, trying not to direct any unwanted attention. After a few minutes, he scored. A relieved look crossed his face as some bread and cheese caught his attention.

Well... it wasn't a high quality meal. But it would definitely do for now. Practically engulfing the food he chewed it as quickly as he could, hoping that no one caught him practically scarfing it down. How was he supposed to get through a day with food though?

Once finished eating the small meal he turned back towards his destination.

Walking up a few steps he opened the door that led back to the deck. Instantly he was greeted with sunlight, to which he squinted his eyes to avoid being blinded. "Hey! You're alive!"

Rubbing at his eyes slightly he peeked them open to address who had just spoken to him. Though he couldn't see very well he could see the outline of spiky hair - so he knew that it was the brunette from before. Oh… what was his name again?

"Yeah." he mumbled back, finally opening his eyes completely once they came adjusted.

"Great! You know I got a little worried there for a second, Cap'n Axel can be cool and all - but sometimes he can be down right vicious if he has to be! Seems he has a liking towards you though!"

Boy this guy could talk. Blinking lightly at him he frowned at the mention of their captain. "Do me a favor and not mention him. He's a jerk."

"Nah! He's actually pretty cool! Anyway, come with me. I can introduce you to the rest of the crew!" This guy seemed way too giddy to be a pirate. Why would he want to see the crew that was currently holding him hostage? It wasn't like he was gonna go party it up here. No, he really didn't want anything to do with them. But… he didn't want to be in that room either. He wanted to stay as far away from the pirate captain as he could.

"This is Riku! You've met him before."

Yeah, he remembered him. He was a jerk too.

"And then there's Kairi, Namine, Larxene, Marluxia, Xigbar, Xaldin, Lexaeus, Zexion, Demyx, and Luxord! Stay away from Luxord though, he's a gambler and will have your palace in fifteen seconds if you play with him." Sora added in quietly, making sure that the blonde man didn't hear it.

Quirking an eyebrow Roxas just nodded quietly, not sure how to take that. The entire crew was odd he had to say. Not exactly how he pictured pirates.

"What was your name again?" Roxas asked, almost feeling bad that he hadn't remembered it. Not completely though - he didn't know the other. He shouldn't even care about this crew.

"Oh! I'm Sora!"

"Ah…"

And then it got quiet. What was he supposed to do now? Sit back and watch the waves? Not fun for him honestly. How could these people live on a ship half of their lives just cleaning and messing with all those ropes and crap. He couldn't find any joy in it at all.

"Since you're here little prince, maybe you could help with some work?"

That was a new voice. Turning his head he glanced at the sandy blonde - Demyx was it?

Did he seriously just ask him to work? Did they forget he was a prince? He had never done such chores in his entire lifetime. Why would he do such things now? Furrowing his eyebrows slightly at the request he shrugged his shoulders, not really wanting to full out deny it. It seemed that they could tell he was irked by it though. "Here, I'll show you how to do it!" A big grin was sent his way, and as his arm was snatched up he wasn't sure how to react. Should he be happy that this pirate was going to teach him how to clean?

"Basically, you swab the deck. Clean it to look spiffy and clean! Axel likes his ship to be pretty." Demyx claimed with a wink and small laugh.

"How do I swab?" Roxas asked quietly, taking hold of the mop handle and yanking it out of the bucket it had currently been resting in. Since he had never done work in his life, he wasn't aware that slopping a soaking wet mop on the wood of the deck sent water flying - so he figured it out the hard way once his pants got completely soaked. An annoyed expression crossed his face as he let the handle drop and stepped away from the wet puddle.

"If you get that upset about getting a bit dirty I don't know how you're gonna make it here… Do you mind if I say something?"

"Well, you haven't bothered asking before so go on and say whatever you want." Roxas stated, feeling his patience level drop a bit.

Demyx paused for a moment before speaking up, "I know you think lowly of us. We're not stupid… but since you're not getting off this ship I suggest you make the best of it instead of sulking. Don't you like adventures? Here, you'll experience the best adventures of your life. I say that's much better than being cooped up in a palace all day… don't you think?" the other asked, quirking his head to the side questioningly. Bending down he swiped up the mop handle before holding it back out to the prince, "Don't judge us by those stupid fairy tales and rumors. Maybe attempt to get to know people on the ship first… especially the Captain. He can be cool when he wants to be."

Roxas blinked lightly, processing all that the other male had said to him. He made sense though - being cooped up in the palace was what made this entire thing start up. If he hadn't been striving to get away from it he wouldn't had ended up on this ship. Peering at the mop handle he reached out and grabbed it with less resistance than he had before. "… I'll give it a shot I guess…"

"Great!" Demyx shouted in glee, turning back to the puddle of water. "So basically you move the mop back and forth until the deck has that pretty gleam to it! Not hard to do at all!"

A pretty gleam? Shifting a bit he grabbed the mop with his hand, bringing it back and forth and trying to ignore how awkward the entire scene was now. "Ah… try with both hands."

At that comment he nodded slightly, gripping the wood with both hands this time and finding it much easier to maneuver the mop. A slight feeling of accomplishment spread over him as he continued to mop, ignoring how cold the water was on his bare feet. Now all the sudden he wanted that shine. It made him feel like he was actually doing something important for once.

"You're doing great! When you're done come back over to the crew and hang out!"

With that Demyx was off to do whatever he did on the boat.

When Roxas lived at the palace he didn't find importance of work. He was basically given anything he wanted and everything was done for him. In his old story books lowly peasants worked hard everyday to gain success, and almost all those books ended in a happy ending. Though Roxas wasn't born under those circumstances, he was slowly starting to get a feel of what it could feel like to do something completely on your own. He almost felt excited with the thought that once he was done this entire deck would be spotless and have a great gleam to it.

That feeling urged him to continue on with what he was doing.

* * *

It took a lot longer than he had expected, but the minute he dropped that mop back into the bucket and hopped up on an empty barrel to get a better view of the deck a smile actually formed on his face. The deck looked great in his eyes! He actually did a good job on his own, without any stupid tutors or henchmen there to direct what he was doing.

"Wow Roxas! You did great! " It was Sora, along with the crew.

"Thanks… a lot of hard work though." he claimed, lifting his legs off the ground to peer at the bottom of his feet. They were dirtier than they had ever been his entire life - as well as very sore.

"Seriously though, the shine on it looks great! Axel will be really happy!"

Even though he didn't do it for Axel's sake, he still felt that ego growing. Yeah, he cleaned that deck all by himself. With his own two hands and a freaking mop. Rock on.

"What will make me really happy?"

Speaking of Axel…

The Captain blinked lightly at the deck as he stepped out of the door that led to the room Roxas had previously been in. A slight glint appeared in his eyes as he examined it before grinning slightly, "Looks great! I've never seen her so sparkly in my life. Who swabbed?"

"Roxas did! All by himself!" Demyx explained with another grin, seeming to hold back to urge to hug him to death. Roxas wouldn't have been surprised either; the guy seemed so happy all the time. Like a ball of sunshine.

Axel paused at what Demyx said, furrowing his own eyebrows before turning his gaze onto said blonde, lips pressing together slightly as he walked toward him and grabbed onto his arm, pulling him off the barrel. Roxas let out a slightly surprised sound, attempting to yank his arm back, "What?" he asked, not quite sure what to say to the others reaction. He thought Axel would be happy?

Not that it mattered.

"Come with me." the captain ordered, pulling him back into that damned room. But he continued past the room through the door Axel had gone through and locked - it was a bedroom. A slight jolt of panic spread through him once he was tossed onto the bed. Shifting a bit he pushed himself back and glared at the pirate. "Don't even think about touching me."

Snorting in amusement Axel shook his head, pulling off his hat and setting it down on a table next to him, as well as untying his hair. Roxas had been right, it was even wilder when it wasn't tied back. "I'm not here to touch you… as tempting as that is." Axel stated with a little wink, smirking at the disgruntled expression now on the prince's face.

"Well then why am I here?!"

"I don't want you doing crew work. I may have said you weren't getting royal treatment, but I also didn't say you were going to get on your knees and clean."

"Well, for your information I actually liked it. So if I want to go clean, I will."

Axel quirked an eyebrow slightly before moving forward and onto the bed, another smirk on his face as Roxas leaned back once he got closer. "Isn't that cute, little Roxie actually enjoys hard labor… I still don't want you cleaning though. That's my crews work - not yours."

"Then what do you expect me to do?"

"Be a good prince, stay out of trouble and do what I say."

An annoyed sound escaped Roxas' mouth as he shook his head, "You make it sound like I'm your pet or something!"

A small laugh was given as a reply, which caught the prince off guard slightly. He watched Axel laugh with a slight owlish expression, not sure how to take it. Axel actually looked… well attractive when he laughed. It wasn't a rude laugh, or an annoying one like he had been getting. Ignoring the odd feeling spreading through him he pressed his lips again and gave the captain another glare.

"I guess pet would be the right word."

Squawking softly he pushed himself forward, not caring about his own personal space at the moment as he got up to the captain's level. Thankfully he was sitting - otherwise it would have been harder. "I will not be your stupid pet Axel."

"Sure you will~! After all you offered up the idea." Axel claimed with a smirk, lifting a hand up to lightly cup the prince's cheek. Roxas glared at him again, but didn't exactly move away from his hand. Where exactly was he even supposed to go? Axel was blocking the door. "You will make a very pretty pet." came a sarcastic retort, causing a slight twitch to come to him. "Don't call me pretty." Roxas mumbled out, reaching up and grabbing onto the pirate's hand, yanking it off his cheek only to have his hand grabbed back and body pulled forward. Okay, he needed his bubble back. Shifting back a little bit he attempted his best to not be directly in the mans face, all the while still trying to keep his glare up.

Axel stared at him curiously, green eyes seeming to almost read him completely. It seemed like forever until Axel promptly let go of his hand and stood, walking over to a desk and opening up a drawer, fishing through it and pulling out a small object. Roxas watched warily, not sure what to do anymore.

The captain walked back to him, holding a small ring between his two fingers. "Wear this."

Roxas blinked at it, mouth parting a little bit as he attempted to understand why he should wear the stupid ring. He reached forward anyway, grabbing onto it and curiously examining it. He did like jewelry… manly jewelry of course. The ring wasn't too gaudy, and had some sort of intricate design etched into it. As well as a language he definitely didn't understand. "Why should I?" he asked, peering back up at the other.

"Because… I said so." Axel claimed, grinning lightly before walking towards his bedroom door again, opening and stepping half way out before turning back to look at him. "Besides, every owner needs to give his pet something to show ownership." he stated with a wink before smoothly sliding out the door and shutting it, narrowly avoiding the ring that was thrown back at him.

"I'm not your damn pet!" Roxas shouted back, clenching his fits as he let out an aggravated sound, getting up from the bed and walking back towards the door.

He paused and glanced back down at the ring on the ground. He should hate that damn ring… but then again the ring had a lure to it. Something about it just kept his attention. Bending down he picked it back up and examined it again, wondering just what could be written on it. It didn't look like a language that even existed. Pursing his lips slightly he shook his head before slipping the ring onto his index finger. "I'm still not his stupid pet."

* * *

**Oh ho ho, how I love Akuroku.**

Sorry if there is any spelling errors. I will happily accept a beta if anyone is up for it!

I try my best to catch all the errors before I post, but sometimes they just slip. Poo.

Anyway, read and review! Pretty pretty please.

-Diz


End file.
